Two recent NNI programs will be available on our members page by the end of February. Our 17 November 2020 program (co-hosted by NYG&B) featured an introduction by the project developer, Julie van den Hout, and was followed by a discussion with Charles Gehring of the New Netherland Research Center and Stephen McErleane of the New Netherland Institute. Learn how the database will aid future research on New Netherland and also how viewing New Netherland through the stories of these ships adds a new dimension to our understanding of the colony. Explore the “Voyages” database and digital exhibit here. Our 13 January 2021 program featured a talk by NNI director Stephen McErleane on the creation of the purchase of Manhattan myth, which was followed by a conversation between McErleane and Skidmore College professor Dr. Gregory Pfitzer, the author of the book Picturing the Past: Illustrated Histories and the American Imagination, 1840–1900, on the influence of images in history books in the second half of the nineteenth century. Talk summary: Though it is now known as a fundamental piece of the early history of the city, it was not until 217 years after the event that New Yorkers first learned of the now infamous 1626 purchase of the island of Manhattan by the Dutch from the Indians for twenty-four dollars. This talk follows the construction of that story from its first appearance in the 1840s and focuses on an important and overlooked piece: an 1853 painting of the purchase by the American artist William Ranney. Ranney has been dubbed a myth-maker for his influential depictions of the American Revolution and of life in the American West. His role in the creation of the Manhattan purchase myth, however, has gone largely ignored. We are currently working to get our members page up and running. In the meantime, this material is available to everyone. Please consider becoming an NNI member today. |
